Will the bad blood between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria ever be settled? What seemed like a closed chapter after their altercation in London due to Pimblett’s remark about “Georgia” back in 2022 has reignited. The feud gained momentum again after the remarkable UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, where ‘El Matador’ delivered a stunning knockout, sending former champion Max Holloway out of the spotlight and impressing everyone.

However, Pimblett, despite giving credit to Topuria for his win, still believes he can defeat him in a potential matchup. He stated, “I can’t wait for him to come back to lightweight. I still think I’d beat him.” Topuria fired back with a fiery, mouth-shutting reply, fueling an ongoing back-and-forth exchange. Now, the Brit has stepped forward once again, seemingly aiming to deliver the final blow in the debate about who would come out on top.

Paddy Pimblett takes a shot at Ilia Topuria

In 2021, British fighter Paddy Pimblett made a splash in the Octagon with his UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini, following a standout career in the regional lightweight circuits. Pimblett proved his worth, knocking out Vendramini in just one round. Since then, Pimblett has remained undefeated in his next five fights, finishing most of his opponents in the first round, with his latest victim being Bobby Green.

While aiming for a title shot soon, Pimblett is now setting his sights on a fight against featherweight king Ilia Topuria. In a video on social media, Pimblett once again sent a message to Topuria, mocking his size. He stated, “He is good, but I still beat him. Styles make fights. People can laugh all they want, but all I hope is that one day we get to fight, and then I can say, ‘I told you so.’ Just like I did after I saw Bobby Green in the first round. I have too much range on him. He wouldn’t be able to get near me. If he did, I’d sub him. Keep doubting me.”

‘El Matador’ stands at 5’7″ with a reach of 69 inches, similar to Max Holloway, while Pimblett stands at 5’10” with a 73-inch reach. However, the reach difference isn’t as significant when compared to the 71-inch reach of Alexander Volkanovski, whom Ilia Topuria knocked out earlier this year to claim the featherweight throne. Despite this, critics of Topuria, including Belal Muhammad, have not hesitated to take shots at him.

Belal Muhammad mocks Topuria as Lord Farquaad from Shrek

Ilia Topuria has been riding high on his successful title defense against Max Holloway, extending his undefeated record to 16-0-0. However, his aspirations to secure a fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev have placed him in the middle of a feud with the Dagestani camp and their associates, like Belal Muhammad and Ali Abdelaziz, who have not shied away from taking jabs at Topuria. They have advised him to focus on his division rather than get involved in trash talk about 155lbs king, but Topuria has not backed down.

In a recent exchange, Belal Muhammad took things to another level, comparing Topuria’s height to the Shrek movie character, Lord Farquaad. In a post on X just days before UFC 308, Belal took shots at Topuria, writing, “Can’t wait till Max knocks this mi*get out and he goes back to acting in Shrek,” accompanied by a Lord Farquaad GIF, a character who is depicted as being around 4’6″.

What’s your take on Paddy Pimblett’s remark? Can Pimblett defeat featherweight king Ilia Topuria if the two ever square off in the Octagon? Despite the matchup still being far from reality, who would you be rooting for—Topuria or Pimblett? Drop your opinion below.